


Civil Servants

by sketchai (sketchymurr)



Series: Civil Servants [1]
Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, Detectives, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-01
Updated: 2011-06-11
Packaged: 2017-10-20 00:34:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 3,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/206916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sketchymurr/pseuds/sketchai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Briar’s a thief turned detective, Tris is a lawyer, Sandry’s a model, and Daja’s Briar’s part time partner. What could possibly go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Morgue

**Author's Note:**

> A/U: Modern day, reality.  
> About the order: This isn't a coherent time-line, just little drabbles and pieces strung together in a random order as I write them.

“Another one?” Briar rubbed grimy eyes as he stared at Daja. She looked conspicuously awake for it being four AM.

“Mhmm.” She handed him a cup of very strong herbal tea, the kind that could almost peel paint. Taking a drink of it, Briar felt a little more awake. “You know you’re sort of a danger driving here when you’re this awake,” she told him.

“I was up late with Sandry.” He shrugged. It was hard being a detective and a husband.

“Well, Tris is insisting we find someone to put in jail for these murders,” Daja waved her hand around the morgue, empty at this time of day save the main coroner. “We should probably work on that today.”

Briar glared. He didn’t need to point out to her that this _was_ the case they’d been working on for months. She knew that, of course. Turning bleary eyes to the coroner, he cleared his throat. “If we could start?”


	2. Space

“There’s just too many gaps in these reports.” Briar rubbed his forehead as Daja slumped forwards on the table. Tris was still studying the map on the wall, dressed in no-nonsense dusty blue for the day. Rubbing his wedding band, he sighed. Sandry had been expecting him home earlier, since she’d just flown in from Paris.

“Well, fill in the damn gaps then.” Silver-blue eyes watched him sharply as Tris rounded on him and Daja. “We want to prosecute this case fully, and that means no gaps.” Tris looked over the paperwork on the table and put a hand up as she rubbed her eyes. “Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to get snappy. There’s just a lot of pressure on this case.”

Daja and Briar gave a tired grin to each other. “There’s always a lot of pressure on each case, Tris.”

Tris smiled tightly, shrugging. “Can’t help that I like to catch bad guys and lock them away for years.”

What a morning, Briar thought to himself, as she shook his head.


	3. Whitewash

“It’s snowy out and icky. People should be at home with people who drive them crazy, not out killing prostitutes.” Briar bundled up tighter in his jacket, surveying the crime scene. He’d crawled out of a warm bed with a very hot wife for this? No wonder Sandry hated his job. Briar blew air into his hands as he watched Daja walk over to the uniforms who arrived at the scene first.

“Tris is going to love this,” Daja muttered as she stalked back. “Same M.O. as the last four.” She shivered and scraped her foot in the grey sludge that was forming around the alley that was the center of the crime scene. “She’s wearing a bracelet just like the others.”

Briar sighed. “Can I go back to bed yet?”

Daja dragged him along. “Oh no. If I have to face Tris, so do you.”

“I was afraid of that,” he murmured, bracing himself. Tris was never happy when another dead body showed up.


	4. Alone

“You put Briar in there with him? That’s a little cruel.” Tris handed Daja a cup of black coffee, leaning against the one-way glass as she watched Briar. His hair was tousled, his button down shirt was a little messy, and he had a coffee stain on one tail.

Daja grinned tiredly. “Sandry left for Paris yesterday.”

Tris grinned in return, though hers was more predatory. “So he’s in a shining mood, I bet.”

“You know he closes cases faster if he’s grouchy,” Daja retorted. She was tired and achy too. Chasing the suspect down yesterday had reminded her just how out of shape she was.

“I have no complaints about him speeding the justice system up,” Tris told her dryly. “Oftentimes, I think it takes much too long.”


	5. Coma

Sandry watched Briar sleep, the drawn line of his mouth pulled down as he dreamed. She could see his eyes moving from the vanity desk she sat by. As she brushed her hair, she let her eyes wander over the room. Briar had proposed to her. And she’d said yes.

She looked at the files spread out on his work table. She hated when he left pictures of dead bodies and blood lying around. But she knew he didn’t do it on purpose. He was so determined to make a break through on each and every case, it was just how he was.

She ran her fingers through her hair and carefully braided it. Looking at the ring on her finger, she glowed a little. It wasn’t expensive. She knew that. Briar couldn’t possibly afford diamonds and gold. But it was gorgeous. And it was from him.

Picking up a picture of the four of them, Daja smiling, Tris looking exasperated, and her and Briar holding hands, Sandry smiled. Life was so good- what could ever go wrong?


	6. Letters

Texting was the new form of love letters, Briar decided as he sat at his desk. His feet were up on the table, but that was fine. It was late, and Tris, along with all the other people who would care, had long ago gone home.

Daja was asleep on her desk across from him, her mouth parted slightly as she dropped in and out of sleep.

He’d wake her in a little while.

Rubbing the new ring on his finger, Briar watched it glint in the dim lamplight. He couldn’t believe Sandry had said yes. And she’d followed through.

He sighed happily and shuffled some files around. Time to get home, he supposed. Sandry would be home in the morning.


	7. Phone Call

The phone ringing in the night woke Sandry first. Briar slept like a log, she decided groggily, as she rolled over to smack at him a little. “Briar,” she shook him. “Briar, wake up and answer your phone.” She wasn’t as sleepy as she could’ve been- her day still felt off after having just gotten back from a shoot on the east coast.

“I’m ‘wake,” he grumbled, groping blindly on his nightstand for his cell. Mushing the buttons, he finally got the right one. “Hello?” … “No, I’m awake, mostly.” … “Of course I was sleeping, what the hell do you think people do usually at 5 AM?” … “No, Tris. ‘Kill people’ is not the answer.” The rest of the conversation descended to grunts as Briar jumped out of bed to tug on pants. He slipped the phone in his pocket and searched for a mostly clean shirt.

“Tris said Daja’s on her way. There’s been another murder. Looks like he’s struck again.”

Sandry sighed and stretched. “I’ll go start some water.” She knew Briar would need tea at this rate.

“Thanks dear.” Briar turned on the bathroom light and stared at himself in the mirror. “I need a new job,” he told his reflection as he finger-combed his hair. “It’s a damn shame I love this one.”


	8. Music

“Case closed!” Tris’ voice was practically sing song as she set her briefcase on Briar’s desk. Daja was just handing him his tea when Tris had come in, her cheeks ruddy and her eyes wide as she smiled. “Maximum sentence, no chance of parol!”

It was so rare to see her smile.

“I couldn’t have done it without you two,” she said. Daja raised an eyebrow and flopped into her seat.

“Does this mean we get a break? Serah wants me to meet her family tonight.”

“Ooooh, the baker girl has the hots for someone.” Briar grinned and sipped his tea. “But I wouldn’t mind a break. Sandry’s been wanting to get dinner at some place and I keep breaking reservations.” He made a face.

“Yes, yes. Go, my children. Be free. Enjoy. Rest easy knowing there’s one less criminal on the street.” Tris shooed at them and picked up her briefcase. Another day well spent.


	9. Silence

“Sometimes I hate this job,” Daja muttered to Briar. Briar, of course, was on cloud 9- Sandry had just said yes to his proposal and they were currently setting a date for the wedding.

Daja, however, was on the fritz with Serah, her last girlfriend. They’d had a fight over living arrangements- again- and she was back on her bad side. Sometimes the back and forth of it all really got to her.

“Eh, it’s a job, right? Pays the bills.”

“Eats your life and soul, too.”

“Such darkness over here in Daja’s corner.” Tris had snuck up on them. Leaning against their desks, she raised a brow. “I need you two in court tomorrow on the O’Hara case. You two in?”

“Mm,” Briar agreed. Daja just nodded and sighed. She’d better call Serah and apologize… she’d need help getting clean clothes for court tomorrow.

“Of course, Tris. We live to serve.” Daja sighed and flipped a pen. Oh the glorious life of a detective.


	10. Cards

“You have a horrible poker face!”

“I’m not a lawyer like someone,” Daja whined. She was losing pretty horribly, she had to admit.

Sandry returned to the card table, where Daja, Tris, and Briar were sitting. She set drinks down for each person and smiled at Daja. “It’s okay. Does it help to know Briar’s got nothing, and Tris has a pair of tens?”

“Sandry!” Both Tris and Briar yelped. “You’re my wife, you’re not supposed to help her!” Briar glared at his cards as he folded.

“And I’m your husband’s boss, you’re not supposed to make me lose.” Tris frowned and glanced at Daja, who was suddenly grinning.

“I win! I’ve got two jacks!”

Briar and Tris groaned, putting their cards on the table. Maybe poker wasn’t the best choice of game after all.


	11. Emblem

Briar fingered the badge. He was a new man, today. Daja had pulled a few strings and managed to get him off the hook for that last burglarly, and now he was here. In uniform. Glancing down at his new attire, Briar grinned. There was still something about him that made the other detectives edgy, something they couldn’t quite put their finger on.

That was fine by him.

Later he would celebrate with Tris and Sandry. Maybe Sandry would even let him kiss her, if he got really lucky. That was something to look forward to, after all. Flipping the badge over, he tucked it in his pocket and strode out to his car. Time to get working.


	12. Elephant

“I feel like an elephant. Or a whale. Or something horrible like that.” Sandry was pouting, and Briar was trying his hardest not to laugh at her. It wasn’t that he thought her situation was funny- he’d already had a blistering lecture from Tris about how hard pregnancy could be.

His partner, Daja, thought it was at least a little funny too. He could see the crinkle near her eyes as she smiled at him. “Sandry, you’re much too pretty to be an elephant or some such.”

Sandry wiggled her toes glumly. “You’re just saying that.” She sighed and rolled off the couch in an awkward maneuver. “Gotta pee. Again.” She cast a dirty look over her shoulder as Briar and Daja finally gave into laughter.

Jerks, she thought to herself, though she couldn’t help the little upturn of lips as she walked to the bathroom.


	13. Monopoly

“You don’t get to have all the pity party,” Daja complained, grabbing the bottle of bourbon from Briar.

They’d just blown a case, Tris had yelled at them in front of the whole station, and Sandry was still out of town on a shoot. Briar’s day called for emergency bourbon. He passed a shot glass to Daja. The offices were empty and closed for the night.

Briar set his legs up on his desk and took a deep breath. “Never again. We can’t fuck up like that ever again, Daj’.”

Daja nodded her agreement and took a shot. Never again was right.


	14. Reality

“Reality bites, sometimes.” Briar glared at the paperwork before him. It was catch up day. The day right before the department filed all the hours for their paychecks, which meant that him and Daja had to file all their logs. Information about what they were doing, why there were doing, where they were doing it.

“It’d be easier if you two did it as you went.” Tris’ dry observation only made Briar stick his tongue out.

“I’d rather be home with Sandry. She’s home for the next two weeks.” Still newlyweds, they sometimes acted like pups frolicking in the flowers. Briar eyed his wedding band and grinned. “Almost done,” he told the stack of papers.


	15. Serenity

“Do you think crime will ever go away?” Daja was spinning a pen on her desk as she watched Briar look over a new case file. She wasn’t as eager to get started after a meeting with Tris and the board about how the department had to make budget cuts. Again.

“Nah. Then I’d be out of a job, too.” Briar set the folder down and stretched. With Sandry being pregnant and them looking to buy a house, since his apartment wasn’t really suitable anymore, he didn’t think he could handle being unemployed. “Not to mention, we like our job, right?” He grinned at Daja who finally gave in and grinned back.

“I would miss the coffee,” she finally said, raising her glass to him. “Cheers.”


	16. Bone

“We lost a bone?” Daja’s voice was incredulous as she looked at the reports. Tris had brought them in to show Briar and Daja just what had happened.

“Yep. A bone.”

Briar squinted at the picture, slipping his phone in his pocket. Sandry had been having false labor starts all week and he worried about her while he was at work. But there was no getting around it. He had to work. “Well, damn. You want us to find it?”

Tris leveled her gaze on Briar as she raised one eyebrow. It was an intimidating look.

“Yes ma’am,” Briar saluted, without even waiting for her to make a snide remark. He knew what to do, after all.


	17. Chalk Dust

Tris wiped off the blackboard. She loved cleaning this blackboard off. Not only was it a nice, repetitive motion, but it also meant a good thing. It meant that she’d closed a case. Closing a case in itself wasn’t an accomplishment, but Tris had a high win rate.

She loved putting criminals away.

Between working with Briar and Daja, her ratio just went up and up. She smiled at the blank chalkboard. For just a minute, there was nothing to worry about.

Then she realized it was time to go visit Sandry and Briar for dinner. Daja was bringing her girlfriend too, whom Tris had yet to meet.

Good day, she thought to herself.


	18. Manuscript

“Wait, so he killed a guy over a stolen manuscript?” Sandry’s tone was incredulous as she looked at her three friends. Briar was grinning and shaking his head, Daja was ordering more drinks, and Tris was nodding.

“It wasn’t just any manuscript though- it was a masterpiece.”

Sandry laughed. “Tris, to you, all manuscripts are masterpieces.”

Tris flushed and waved her hand at Sandry. “No, no. I mean, this one really was. Not just one I liked, but recognized and all that.”

“If you say so, Tris.”

Tris sniffed and took a drink of water. “Of course I say so. So it’s so.” She smiled. Sometimes being a lawyer had its perks.


	19. Ink

“You have a tattoo?”

Daja nodded at Sandry’s question and lifted the back edge of her shirt. Briar was in the kitchen, cooking as he hummed. “Right here.” Along her ribs were some symbols that Sandry didn’t recognize. “They mean family.” Daja smiled.

Sandry smiled back and eyed her wedding band and her slightly round stomach. “Family.” She grinned as Briar started singing, as he always did towards the end of cooking. He had to work himself up, or something. “I like the idea of family.”

Daja nodded. “Family is good… is Tris on here way?”

“Yeah, should be here anytime.” Sandry looked at her stomach and smiled fondly. Family was a great idea.


	20. Perfection

“Oh god,” Briar’s groan made a chill chase up Sandry’s spine. She’d been waiting ages to touch him like this. Like she owned him.

“Aren’t you glad Tris and Daja let you have the night off?” She nipped at his ear and slipped her hands under his shirt, wiggling against him in the process.

Briar couldn’t think, let alone answer coherently. Grunting in compliance, he tugged at her shirt, trying to breathe deeply. “You’re beautiful,” he told her, kissing her neck and trying to keep teeth from his shoulder.

He failed, as her teeth grazed his neck lightly, sending shivers along Briar’s arms.

“So are you,” she told him quietly. “So are you, Briar.”


	21. Ring

“Stop fiddling with it,” Daja scolded Briar.

He glared. “Can’t help it. It feels weird.” Not only was he male, and therefore unused to adornment, but he’d never been married before.

God help him, he was married. To Sandry, of all people. He swallowed hard and tried to breathe. Tris had been there with him, helping him along. Now it was done and he was committed. What the hell had he done?

“Don’t panic, stupid. You two are in love. Get over it.”

Daja was right. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly. He could do this. With Sandry, he could do anything.


	22. Paperwork

Briar was tired of paperwork. He was tired of ink-stained fingers and long nights and sleeping alone. He missed Sandry.

"Here," Daja handed him a cup of coffee- black like her eyes as she watched him with that knowing look.

"Don't look at me like that," he mumbled into his paper, wishing she didn't know him so well.

"You should sleep," she told him carefully as she sat at her desk, her current case-load spread before her on the desk.

"We both should," he agreed.

Even as Daja muttered an agreement, she stared at the paperwork. It just never ended. There was always someone who needed help. And neither Briar nor Daja were the type to turn away from those in need of help. Not now, not ever. She sighed as she pulled another file to her. "Looked at the Jame's case lately?"

Briar grinned and took a drink of coffee. Daja did know him too well after all.


End file.
